Nevertheless, the Gunners are expected to pick up three points this week, to close the gap on Borussia Dortmund at the top of Group D.

Here's all the key information you need.

1. When is the match?

Wednesday at 7:45pm.

2. What channel is it on?

You can watch it on Sky Sports 1. Coverage gets under way at 7.30pm.

3. Team news

Anderlecht: Fabrice N'Sakala is the only player who will definitely be missing the game for the hosts. He was sidelined with a knee injury in September and could miss the whole group stage.

Anthony Vanden Borre is likely to start, after missing most of the season with a torn calf. He played 90 minutes in the the 1-1 draw with Melechen on Saturday.

Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's injury crisis has deepened even further ahead of their trip to Belgium.

Defenders Mathieu Debuchy and Laurent Koscielny are still out, as are Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud.

Wojciech Szczesny is suspended after his red card against Galatasaray and with David Opsina injured, rookie Emiliano Martinez will deputise.

There is some good new though with Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey both fit to start.

(Image: Stuart MacFarlane)

4. Predicted sides

5. Reasons for Arsenal fans to be optimistic

The Gunners have progressed to the knockout stages in each of the last 13 campaigns.

Anderlecht have won just six times in 28 matches against English sides.

The hosts have finished bottom of the group in all seven group stage campaigns since they reached the last 16 in 2000/01.

6. Reasons for Anderlecht fans to be optimistic

Arsenal have won just two of their eight league games this season, four fewer than at the same stage last term.

The Belgians top their league table having lost just one of their 11 games so far

Arsenal have scored just once in their last four away Champions League games

7. The key man

Alexis Sanchez: There is a lot of pressure on the Chilean to shine with Mesut Ozil out injured - and he stood up to the mantle against Hull.

Sanchez teased Curtis Davies before firing home the opener and then dribbled through to set up Danny Welbeck to level the scores. He hasn't hit the heights many expected yet and Gunners fans will want more.

(Image: Reuters)

8. Previous matches

The two sides met in the Inter-Cities Fair Cup way back in the 1969/70 season as the Gunners ran out 4-3 winners on aggregate.

9. Quote corner

Arsene Wenger on the Gunners' difficult season so far: " It’s ­difficult to say why because there’s not just one reason.

"It’s a post-World Cup year. It’s as well because we had to play Beisktas to qualify for the Champions League without having everybody ready. We have missed many players.

“But what is most frustrating is that we never come out of games feeling that we have been dominated, we always feel there was room to win and that was not always the case last season.

"But our ­defensive ­efficiency is not there at the moment."

10. Betting odds

The Gunners are strong favourites to pick up back-to-back wins in Belgium, with Paddy Power pricing them at 8/11.